- Lyricist
- Muthulingam
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Movie name
- Ondru Engal Jadhiye
- Movie release year
- 1987
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Feb 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Enni Varum Ennam Ellam' from the movie 'Ondru Engal Jadhiye' (1987) is an uplifting, high-energy anthem celebrating unity, social justice, hard work, and egalitarian values. The song expresses the joy of seeing long-cherished dreams and hopes finally coming to fruition, calling upon the community to dance, celebrate, and embrace a bright future together. The lyrics touch upon familial love—such as the joyful bond between a brother and sister—while delivering a strong socio-political message. It highlights that the labor of working hands is the true foundation of society's prosperity, warns oppressors not to provoke the sleeping giant of the working class (metaphorically compared to a sleeping tiger), and rejects caste discrimination, upholding truth, honesty, and self-confidence as the ultimate guiding principles.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Enni varum ennam ellam”
The initial 'E' sound is repeated in 'Enni' and 'ennam', creating a harmonious phonetic rhythm.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Nermai nammodu paadhai / Gnyaayam ondrae namm thevai”
The ending sounds 'paadhai' and 'thevai' rhyme with each other, enhancing the lyrical flow of the couplet.
Metaphor
“Thoongum puiliyin vaala pudichi kaiyaal aattadhae”
Comparing the peaceful, hardworking common folk to a 'sleeping tiger', warning corrupt forces not to provoke them.
Personification
“Inbam koothada”
Joy is personified as dancing ('koothada') on the brother's face upon seeing his sister happy.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Enni Varum Ennam Ellam' features music composed by Gangai Amaran with lyrics written by the celebrated Tamil poet Muthulingam. Sung by a powerful vocal trio—Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Jayachandran, and Kovai Soundararajan—the song perfectly encapsulates the movie's core ethos implied by its title 'Ondru Engal Jadhiye' ('Humanity is Our Only Caste'). The song's theme heavily reflects 1980s Tamil cinema's tradition of social-reformist group songs that blend folk sensibilities with progressive socio-political ideals.
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